Gina Rodriguez talks 'Jane the Virgin,' family support and changing the world

By Erica Cupido

October 06, 2016

The word “doubt” has never been part
of
Gina Rodriguez’s vocabulary. The
Jane
the Virgin
star was raised to wake up, look
in the mirror and tell herself, “I can,
and I will.” Becoming a breakout star –
and winning her first Golden Globe in
2015 – hasn’t changed that. “I say the
same thing,” the actress, 32, tells
Hello!
Canada
. “I say, ‘Today is going to be a great day!’ That’s my
morning ritual.”

Gina has plenty of reasons to start each day with a sunny outlook. She’s on the big screen now alongside
Mark Wahlberg and Kate Hudson in Deepwater
Horizon
(which she premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival) – and she’s back on-set for the third season of the series that made her a household name. Fans are curious to see what’s next for the heroine, whose new husband, Michael, was shot in last season’s finale. “The first episode is so good,”
Gina promises.

Gina won her first Golden Globe in 2015.

When she isn’t filming, the effervescent
actress encourages women to be active in
their communities as part of
Clinique’s
Difference Maker
campaign. She also visits schools to speak with students, hoping
to instil in them the determination she
learned from her parents. “I continue to
stay focused on what I can give back to the
world,” says Gina. Chatting with
Hello!, she
opens up about her goals and explains
why that morning mantra isn’t the only
key to her success.

What are you looking forward to on this
season of
Jane the Virgin? I’m looking forward to everything! To me, the writing is
imperative for any project to succeed and
we have some great writers.

Gina stars in Jane the Virgin alongside Canadian actor Brett Dier.

Is there anyone you’d love to have
guest star on the show?
I just want
whoever wants to come to our show
to get the opportunity. I think if
you want to be part of a project,
you do your best work and it contributes to the show as a whole.

You’re also part of Clinique’s
Difference Maker campaign.
Who has made a difference in
your life?
Having the memory
of my parents believing that I could do anything I wanted to
do changed my life significantly.
We don’t live in this world alone.
We’re almost instinctually built to
need the support of those around us, so someone believing
in you is monumental.

How do you balance acting
with giving back?
I think it all
contributes to the same goal.
Now that I have a platform, it
allows me to get my message across. If I want to help
create change, then every part of
me has to be about that goal, not
just my work outside of acting.

Is it important to you to set an
example for your fans?
It’s important for me to own that role model role. [But] that’s not the goal. The goal is to be the best
version of myself every day. I do
consider every decision for my career with all those amazing men and women who are supporting me in mind, because they’re
the reason why I’m here. They’re the
reason why Jane is still on the air.

HELLO! Canada magazine is available for your tablet and smartphone. Get HELLO! Canada, PEOPLE, Vanity Fair and over 100 more of the world’s best magazines for one low monthly price at Texture by Next Issue. CLICK HERE to sign up for a free trial.